In a truly historic conference held March 23, 2024, in the town of East Palestine Ohio, approximately 100 activists from across the United States came together to form a new coalition, Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers. The purpose of the gathering: to demand that the federal government and State of Ohio provide full healthcare coverage for the victims of the toxic train derailment that occurred in East Palestine more than a year ago.  At the East Palestine Conference, union, healthcare, environmental and community activists came together as ONE MOVEMENT!

Shortly before 9 o’clock on the evening of Feb. 3, 2023, a train nearly two miles long roared through the village. As the train reached the eastern edge of town, 18 cars, many containing hazardous material careened off the tracks and burst into flames. Jarred from their evening routines, residents scrambled to evacuate on one of the year’s coldest nights.

Three days later, authorities unnecessarily dumped and burned more than two millions gallons of vinyl chloride and other chemicals held in damaged cars, sending aloft a toxic black cloud that spread for miles. Since then, residents have reported a number of unusual health symptoms, including bloody noses, rashes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue. Some refuse to return to homes that now make them sick.

Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern trains rumble through town, reminding people that the company continues to profit while residents suffer. To this day, dozens of families, workers and citizens have been abandoned and forgotten, trapped in homes, unable to leave a town and area whose water, air and soil have poisoned them with deadly toxins.  Unable to work because of the injuries suffered during and after the derailment crash, many of these workers have no healthcare coverage.

If you can take a few minutes to read their stories and hear the pain and suffering they are going through, it will invoke tears of rage!”